Article by
Barbados Today

Published on
October 22, 2018

Minister of Housing George Payne has described wanton exploitation of public housing all while the National Housing Corporation (NHC) is swamped with a waiting list 30,000 applications long.

His indictment was of units being occupied by tenants who owned other homes; housing units being rented out while the registered tenants lived elsewhere; tenants were moving out and allowing others to take over occupancy unknown to the NHC.

He also complained of delinquent tenants who refused to pay anything more that the first month’s rent.

Payne made the revelations during a courtesy call last week with the American ambassador, Linda Taglialatela, where he outlined the challenges facing the cash-strapped housing agency.

“Government never thought when seeking to assist poor people, that the system would be exploited in this way. The housing programme is being sabotaged by some people Government sought to help. We will have to look at the legislative framework to see what can be done to bring a more disciplined approach to the transfer of government units,” he said.

The minister also lamented the dwindling stock of Government-subsidized rental housing. He explained that the programme introduced by the previous Government which allowed occupants of NHC units for 20 years or more to but their homes had reduced the available rental stock to about 1,200 units.As a result, a number of units, though unoccupied, are no longer in the system, he said.

Payne stopped short of revealing just how the NHC plans to crack down on those who take advantage of the public housing system, especially in light of scarce resources.

However, last month the NHC swooped down on delinquent tenants, beginning the process of evicting those owing large amounts in overdue rent.

Several tenants at Country Park Towers, Country Road, St Michael, were served with notices to quit by an attorney acting on the NHC’s behalf. Some tenants reportedly owed as much $30,000 in arrears.

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24 thoughts on “Too much NHC exploitation – Payne”

Big Man

God bless my eye sight, Georgie has surfaced, my short friend from Cawmere, wonder where Mia had you hiding, I hear the Cabinet was bloated to keep you from trying to stage another Coup de tete in the Bee Hive, you are now out numbered, so we won’t be seeing another Cawmere PM any time soon
Any how up and on glad to see you

Foes in plenty we shall meet
Hearts courageous scorn defeat
So we press with eager feet
Up and on, Up and on
Ever upward to the fight
Ever upward to the light
Ever true to God and right
Up and on, Up and on.

Thank you Lord for saving his soul. Old Georgie Porgie has risen from the dead, and is in front the wicket again, and batting.
For a while there, I thought the worst; even listening to the obituaries for his name, I just couldn’t figure out where the man was hiding. The only thing I had to go on, was his past protest.

i look forward to hearing old Georgie’s mouth at the podium, when the crooked Barbados Labour Party holds its annual general conference at the Lodge School, this coming weekend. I look forward more so, to the constant bear hugging, and affectionate cuddling between George and Mia, that we all saw so publicly take place after the party wiped out the DLP at the May 24th polls. George – as BLP Chairman- had said Mia was the best qualified person ever to lead this country, even better than those that had gone before. This weekend, if he gives her that pussycat head in her chest embrace of affection, then we can assume that all is well in crab city. If this does not happen, something is cooking.

Minister Payne, please go after those persons who you have mentioned above. It is unfair that they enjoy government housing while they have their high rent properties rented out. There are lots of things in Barbados that need cleaning up.

Have to agree…there have been and still are tennants abusing the generosity of the NHC. Some rent their units and now reside in mansions. Others rent their newly built mansions and continue to reside in the units.Meanwhile those whom have a genuine need for affordable shelter, have nowhere to go.Greed and selfishness consumes us…we have become our worst enemy!

2: housing units being rented out while the registered tenants lived elsewhere;

3: delinquent tenants who refused to pay anything more that the first month’s rent.

4: a number of units, though unoccupied, are no longer in the system

5: the housing programme is being sabotaged by some people Government sought to help.

So what is new here? Absolutely nothing. All this is telling me is that the inmates are still running the asylum.

These are the exact same issues I have been pointing out from day one when the Government was in the hands of the DLP along with people building houses on lands not belonging to them and writing to friends and relatives in other Caribbean islands telling them to come to Barbados for free land.

For years so called entrepreneurs rented space from Government and refused to pay the rent. Business people openly and blatantly refusing to pay taxes. Sad!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Time for talk is over Mr.Payne. This foolishness about looking at the legislative framework to see what can be done to bring a more disciplined approach to the transfer of government units, is just talk for public consumption.

Your Government was given a mandate by the people of Barbados to eradicate this nonsense. Your Government controls all the seats in Parliament which means you and your fellow ministers can bring all this foolishness to an end if you all wanted to.

Enough of the talk. Time to show Barbadians you guys are ready to Govern, if not, in four years time another female will be PM of Barbados.

Mr. Payne’s silence has obviously been a pain to both him and his constituents and friends, so he had to find something ‘explosive’ to grouse about: The NHC news is stale news: it has been going on for as long as the NHC existed, BLP/DLP/BLP/DLP/BLP/DLP and now BLP.

As time marched on no one had the intestinal fortitude to touch those tenants because they all (majority) got the house from a politician…………… T What is your solution to this age old problem?

I suppose, the Prime Minister has dared to open her mouth to you; ’cause yuh kno; yuh dun know’ she is de boss. I dare say she must have ordered you to “do something, or else!” So, Mr. Hats Payne, it seems to me like you between a rock and a hard place: do something drastic and keep yuh pick; do nothing or lose de pick.

well if what mr payne is saying is true.no long talk who ain paying got to go.who rent them and rent them out them to got to go.people out there need houses that would pay and nhc got people in them units and ain paying.cant work.do what you got to do mr payne.what madness is this going in our country.

Being a Landlord in Barbados is very difficult. It is so difficult to evict a tenant. Judges permit persons to live on your premises for month before you even get them to court only to be told you have to wait until they can find alternate accommodation. If you take matters in your own hands and forcibly remove these tenants before the case is called you may find yourself in serious trouble. Now tell me why it should be any different with government if it is Government who passes these laws. Laws governing landlord/tenant relations must be revisited. Government just as it is not in the business of being a contractor neither should it be a Landlord. In the event that government forcibly removes tenants for delinquency in rent then all will say government is uncaring. If government replaces those unauthorized persons from houses and replace them with others in the waiting list it will be accused of putting in they own yard fouls. The cost of low income houses in Government hands is too expensive for the low income earner. Government should stay out of the business of being a landlord. Implement Laws which are fair to the Landlords and permit the private sector to provide housing for the Lower middle and upper income workers.

That was just talk for the occasion…everyone knows that is NOTHING NEW.
What happens if DONVILLE INNISS’ case is thrown out and he returns to Barbados?Think it would be bizness as usual in George Street with the TWO BIGGEST LOSERS calling the shots ?
What happens if he is convicted?..it would still be bizness as usual…bizness for those lurking in the background trying for those TOP TWO positions.

The problem with the political system in barbados as Pm Thompson said that barbados is a friendly society but some body have to break up the coterie and do the people`s business. @ SHERON INNISS; the “Eager Eleven” was showing a front for 10 years and 90 days? The media is scared of the law suits so the skulduggery will keep happening, the lawyers are the politicians and the politicians are the lawyers.

Being a landlord in Barbados is Very difficult because the laws governing the rental of housing units favor the tenant. The process of evicting a delinquent tenant may take six months to have the case called and extended six month periods granted to the tenant by the judge for them to find alternate accommodations. Mr. Payne should see after having these laws change for in the present state Landlords, private or government, are exploited by some tenants. Government, however should never be in the business of being Landlords or Housing/Land Developers, I say this for the following reasons; (1) any government having to evict delinquent tenants will be seen as uncaring. (2) Removing an unauthorized person from the property and replacing them with a person from the waiting list will be viewed as politically motivated. (3) Houses constructed by government for the low income earner are generally too expensive for persons in this bracket but may suit the pocket of the middle income earner who will not be eligible for these houses. Mr. Payne & Mia I will give you a suggestion in exchange for two consultants and two ministers. Have government sell parcels of land set aside for housing to developers at the price set for sale to low income earners. Make an agreement having the developer construct high rise rental units within a year of purchase of these lands and have him rent these units at a Government/Developer agreed rate. Any Increase in rent by the developer must be approved by Government for ten years after which developer takes full control of the property. The developer will also be required to select tenants from the waiting list at the National Housing Corporation. Mr. Payne do not harbor the assumption that low income families will remain in that bracket forever, government’s duty is to give them a roof over their heads during this period. Every adult in Barbados knows at least ten families which came from lower income bracket and now are firmly placed in the middle or upper income bracket. Land in Barbados is like a scarce commodity and to own it you must earn it.

This is bad management , how can a renter don’t pay rent for years and still living in the units, the renter should have been given an eviction notice a time long ago and if he/she don’t move then go to court and get a court order and the marshals will remove them but like everything in Barbados when it comes to business it comes down to partisan votes.
I am sure this problem was there under both the BLP and DLP
administrations.